To Each His Own
by Nekhen
Summary: Part One of my Stargate Sg-1 Skaara Trilogy


Skaara had not seen Nekhen look so scared since the arrival of Ra on Abydos. On that day he had watched helplessly as the princess and the entire royal family were denounced and unceremoniously removed from the ancestral palace outside the city limits, to be taken to an unknown location. He could still feel the blind rage that had coursed through his body when the Serpent Guards had pointed their staff weapons at the tiny woman and had fired, rendering her unconscious. There was little left of the ancient building now, it had been irreparably damaged in the battle to free Abydos from Ra's clutches and with several members of the royal family no longer present rebuilding had seemed a pointless exercise. Skaara had naturally assumed the worst and had secretly spent many hours mourning the loss of his princess. He had loved Nekhen's common touch, the way she'd easily mixed with the common folk, while maintaining a very natural sense of nobility. As a childhood friend of the princess, Skaara had held a very privileged position within royal circles, and he'd missed the carefree way that Nekhen had confided in him about matters of state. Upon returning to his sunburned home planet after being freed from Klorel, his heart had filled with joy to find Nekhen living among her people, and doing what she could to help the subjects she loved. How typical, he'd thought to himself with a smile. Far from being humiliated by living among the people over whom she had once ruled, Nekhen had discovered that her soulful brown eyes, impish grin and sense of fun had endeared her to them, and it was with great sadness that Nekhen had left to join Skaara on Earth at the suggestion of Daniel Jackson, Skaara's brother-in-law. After careful consideration, Daniel had concluded that while at least one member of the abydonnian royal family remained alive and safe there was hope of restoring Abydos to the way things were, one day when the threat of the Goa'uld was gone forever. He also feared that it would be too risky for Skaara to live on Abydos permanently, as it would be the first place that the Goa'uld would look for him. Daniel felt a responsibility to see to the well being of both abydonnians, and told himself that Shau'ri would have expected nothing less of him. All things considered, the transition to life on Earth had been a lot smoother for his two friends than Daniel could have ever anticipated. For the first few months, Skaara and Nekhen had been prohibited from leaving the Cheyenne Mountain complex as a temporary measure to prepare them for life outside the base as ordinary citizens of Earth. The fact that they were actually from the other side of the galaxy was a closely guarded secret known only to SG-1 and essential staff on the base, and it had to be said that Daniel had done an impeccable job of schooling Skaara and Nekhen in earthly ways and culture. It was a source of great pride for Daniel that thanks to him Skaara and Nekhen were able to leave the claustrophobic base ahead of schedule and were now living on the outskirts of a small town nearby. Now Skaara saw that same fear in Nekhen's eyes for the first time since moving to their adopted home. On several occasions over the last few days, Nekhen had become increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of attention she had been drawing from three men in town, who had a habit of always being in the main street when they were there. Nekhen had decided up until now to keep her concerns from Skaara, her reasoning being that a certain amount of paranoia was to be expected, given what they'd been through, and it would only worry Skaara unnecessarily. But this time was different. On one of her rare trips into town alone, the three men approached Nekhen with a thinly veiled threat: "We've been watching you and your friend ever since you moved in to town. We know there's something not right about you two, and we're going to find out your little secret!" Their words made Nekhen's blood run cold, and it was all she could do to maintain her composure until she could tell Skaara what had happened. She resisted the urge to run as fast as she could, that would merely draw more attention to herself, and instead walked purposefully for two blocks before breaking into a frantic run the rest of the way to the old house where she knew Skaara was. "Skaara! Skaara!" Never before had he heard such urgency in Nekhen's voice. Even from inside the living room, Skaara could tell that Nekhen was close. He walked through the doorway and out on to the wooden veranda to find her already there. By the time Nekhen had found her friend, she was in such a state that she could hardly speak: "Skaara, there's three men. they're going to find out about us. they threatened me!" One look at Nekhen's face told Skaara that this was not some game that she was playing. "We're going to be okay, don't worry" Skaara replied in the most reassuring tone he could muster, but he knew the instant those words had left his lips how feeble they must have sounded. To his surprise Nekhen seemed to draw strength from Skaara's somewhat lukewarm reaction to her news, for there was now just a little less of the agitated demeanour which had greeted the young warrior not a moment before. "We must tell Daniel, Skaara. He will know what to do." That very evening, Daniel Jackson found himself making the journey from the base to his friends' home. It had been a relatively uneventful day at the office until the strange mid-afternoon phone call from Skaara, asking him to come to the house. He had no idea what Skaara wanted, but from the way the conversation had unfolded, Daniel felt that it must be a matter of great importance. It simply was not like his brother-in-law to overreact. As the brilliant archaeologist knocked on the door, his mind raced with so many questions that he barely had time to formulate them into any kind of logical pattern before Skaara answered. To his alarm, Daniel could scarcely recognise the young man who stood before him. "Skaara, what's going on? Why all the secrecy, and where is Nekhen?" Dr Jackson asked, alluding to Skaara's unwillingness to divulge much information over the telephone earlier in the day. Skaara silently gestured to a room at the end of the hallway, and indicated that the princess was sleeping inside. That's strange, thought Daniel, Nekhen obviously doesn't know that Skaara called me or she would be out here right now. "Danier, Nekhen is troubled." Skaara began cautiously, "She went in to town by herself today, and three men threatened her". "What exactly did they say to her?" replied Daniel in a low voice, carefully trying not to wake the young woman. "They said that they were going to find out about us, and now Nehken is frightened of what will happen if they do. She said that you would know what to do, but she doesn't know that I called you this afternoon." Skaara explained, his restless body language betraying the matter of fact manner in which he had conveyed the news. Great, that's all we need, Daniel thought. A witch-hunt conducted by the village idiots. "Skaara, you'd better wake Nekhen," said Daniel. "I think it would be best if I take the both of you back to the base for tonight. Then in the morning we'll tell General Hammond and go from there." Skaara wordlessly nodded in agreement. As he walked through the doorway to Nekhen's room, he stopped for a moment to look at her as she slept. He couldn't help but notice how peaceful and safe Nekhen looked in her slumber, and how she had wrapped herself up in the blankets like a cocoon, almost as if they were intended to protect her. I really hate to do this, Skaara muttered under his breath as he approached the sleeping princess. "Nekhen, Nekhen. wake up. We have to go." Skaara said gently. Almost immediately, the young woman began to slowly open her eyes and she stared at Skaara in bewildered confusion. "What is it, Skaara? Did the men come?" Nekhen asked him. "I have to tell you something," ventured Skaara. "I called Daniel this afternoon and asked him to come here tonight. I am so sorry that I did not tell you this, but I didn't want to make you even more scared. I told him what happened today and he wants us to go with him now, back to the base. He's waiting for us in the living room." On hearing the news that Daniel had been summoned to the house, Nekhen leaped out of bed and hurried down the hall to speak with him. "Daniel, why must we go back to the SGC? she pleaded, as she entered the room. "It's only for tonight, Nekhen. And it's for your own safety, too. Think about it. If you have been seriously threatened, as you were, then it is far better for you to be somewhere secure and it's better that I take you there now under the cover of darkness so that there's less chance of being followed or recognised." In the awkward moment of silence that followed, Daniel searched earnestly for the right words to say to reassure Nekhen but he found that it was impossible. How he wished that it weren't necessary to take them back to the SGC, but Daniel could see no other alternative. "We should get going before it gets too much later." Dr Jackson said. Nekhen and Skaara understood this to be their cue to get themselves ready to leave, and they each went to pack their bags for the overnight stay at the SGC. The mood was sombre as Daniel drove his friends back to the base and when they finally arrived, Nekhen alighted from the car without speaking before collecting her belongings and waiting by the entrance. Neither Skaara nor Daniel had ever seen Nekhen behave so oddly before. Skaara was particularly concerned and decided to speak to Nekhen as soon as a suitable opportunity presented itself. It was to come later on that evening after Daniel had left, after making sure that they were both settled and comfortable. "Nekhen, why are you not happy now?" Skaara asked, the concern in his voice plain to hear. "We are safe. Daniel will not allow any harm to come to us. I know it's hard, but we must trust him." "I know, Skaara. Daniel is a good man. It's just that I was thinking about Abydos, and how much I miss being home. If it weren't for the Goa'uld, we wouldn't have had to leave, and none of this would have happened." Finally, thought Skaara, Nekhen is at last opening up to me like she used to on Abydos. Skaara then walked over to where the princess was standing and cautiously placed his arms around her. Without resisting, Nekhen returned the embrace and together they stood in the middle of the guest quarters with their arms entwined. Nekhen looked up at Skaara, as he began to speak:  
  
"It's late, Nekhen. You should get some sleep"  
  
The following morning Skaara awoke to find that Nekhen was already dressed and ready for their meeting with General Hammond. He found her feverishly pacing the room, her anxiety obvious. If he was completely honest with himself, Skaara had to admit that he too was curious to hear what General Hammond would make of the previous day's events. He began to wonder if some of Nekhen's nervousness hadn't rubbed off on him, and no sooner was he ready than there was a knock at the door. It was the guard that had been posted outside the guest quarters overnight, informing them that the General was waiting for the both of them in the Briefing Room. "Good Morning to you both." General Hammond greeted them warmly, as Skaara and Nekhen entered to find that not only Daniel but also the rest of SG-1 were present. "Your Highness and Skaara, I hope you don't mind but to save some time I took the liberty of having Dr Jackson enlighten me as to what happened yesterday. That is why the rest of SG-1 are also here, I felt they should be kept informed of any situation concerning the both of you." Your Highness? Nekhen thought to herself. The General knows that I'm not one for formalities. My title means nothing here on Earth. "Then you already know that I was approached by three men, " she began, "Have you had an opportunity to consider what we should do?" "Nekhen, I know you aren't going to like what I have to say, but I have given this a lot of thought, and for the moment I believe that it is in your best interests to remain here on the base until we know for sure that it is safe for you return to the house. I will arrange for someone to collect some more of your personal belongings, and from now until further notice I have given an official order that neither you nor Skaara are to leave this facility." Nekhen's heart sank upon hearing the General's words. Skaara looked over at her to see a woman consumed by both sadness and homesickness. How difficult it must be for her, he thought. "Nekhen, I can assure you that we will do everything we can to make sure that you return to the house as soon as possible" Sam said. "I know that this must be hard for you." "You know, in a way I kind of feel responsible for this." Daniel said. "I can't help feeling that maybe we let you leave too early, and I hadn't instructed you as well as I'd thought". "Don't be ridiculous, Daniel" answered Jack. "Nobody could have done a better job than you." "O'Neill is right, Daniel" replied Nekhen. "Your patience and understanding while teaching Skaara and I about life on Earth was amazing. You have a gift." It was at that point that Daniel wished Shau'ri had been there to see him receive such high praise from the princess. "Thank You, Nekhen" was all that Daniel could manage by way of reply, truly humbled as he was by the unexpected accolade. "People, if there are no further issues for discussion, I believe that concludes the meeting." said General Hammond. With the General's words, the atmosphere in the Briefing Room relaxed noticeably and with the meeting over, Skaara and Nekhen headed back to the guest quarters. As SG-1 had remained behind to be briefed on their next mission, Skaara seized the opportunity to further quiz Nekhen on her reaction to yesterday's events and her out of character behaviour the previous evening. "Nekhen, you did not say anything last night when Daniel brought us here." Skaara began cautiously, hoping to inspire the princess to confide in him again. "I am fine now, Skaara. Really" Nekhen answered. She had hoped to sound more convincing, for Nekhen knew that no amount of protesting would persuade Skaara otherwise should he detect the slightest hesitation in her voice. He knows me so well, he can see right through me, she thought to herself. Nekhen's train of thought was interrupted by their arrival at the doorway to the guest quarters and within moments of being back in the room, there was a knock at the door followed by the familiar voice of Dr Janet Fraiser. "Hello, both of you" Dr Fraiser greeted them as she entered. "General Hammond told me earlier that you were scheduled to meet with him this morning, and I was hoping to catch up with you after you had seen him to discuss something very important." "Is there something wrong, Dr Fraiser?" Skaara asked. "No, quite the opposite, in fact." Dr Fraiser said, a warm smile creeping on her face. "Nekhen, I am well aware of your discomfort being here, and I believe that I may have a possible solution to help the time pass a little faster for the both of you while you wait to return to the house." "I have spoken to General Hammond" Dr Fraiser continued, "and he has agreed to me having you as my assistant on a medical trial I am conducting. And Skaara, the General also mentioned that for some time you have been anxious to share the knowledge that you gained while possessed by Klorel. He wishes you to work closely with him to develop new strategies to repel any potential threat to Earth by the Goa'uld. Do you both think that you are up to it?" "Of course." Skaara said, taking the liberty of answering for both him and Nekhen. "I would be happy to help." "As would I" added Nekhen. "That's great. It's settled, then." Dr Fraiser beamed, clearly pleased at the positive outcome. "Nekhen, when would you like to start? I have some lab results that need writing up if you'd like to come with me now. Skaara, the General should be finished briefing SG-1 now, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you stopped by his office." Nekhen wished that she didn't have to leave Skaara so soon after the end of the meeting, despite being grateful for having something to fill in her days at the SGC. "I guess we will see you later, Skaara." said Dr Fraiser, as she led Nekhen away to the lab, leaving him to make his own way to the General's office. As the doctor and her new assistant walked along the corridor together, Nekhen took the opportunity to speak. "Dr. Fraiser, I would like to thank you for your kindness towards me. Having me assist you is a wonderful idea, I feel a lot happier knowing that I am of some use while I am here." "It's no trouble at all, Nekhen." Dr Fraiser answered immediately. "I'm glad this will help make things a little easier for you." A short time later on the opposite side of the base, Skaara tentatively knocked on the General's closed office door. "Enter" came Hammond's familiar voice from inside. "General Hammond," Skaara began furtively. "Dr Fraiser suggested that I stop by your office." "I'm glad you're here, Skaara." The General answered. "If you are willing, I believe that the information you gained while being host to Klorel could assist us greatly in our fight against the Goa'uld. You would be working closely with both Colonel O'Neill and myself, telling us what you know, and helping us devise a means of defending ourselves should they ever attack." "I would be happy to help my Tau'ri friends any way I can" Skaara answered, "I will always be indebted to SG-1 for the part they played in freeing me from Klorel, and I see this as my opportunity to repay." "Skaara, what we did for you was not done in anticipation of any gain for us." General Hammond responded. " I know for a fact that Colonel O'Neill looks upon you as a son, and as you are already family to Dr Jackson, I feel that SG-1 simply did what was necessary. Speaking of Colonel O'Neill, he is expecting us." General Hammond then indicated to Skaara that he should follow to where they were to meet O'Neill. While on the way, both men were surprised by a sudden energy surge that caused the lights to dim in the dark, winding corridors of the SGC. Before either could ascertain the cause, the corridors were awash with flashing red lights and sirens as the duress alarms sounded around the base. Immediately springing in to action, General Hammond hurried to the gate room, closely followed by Skaara. As the General entered the room, a technician turned to address him. "Sir, we have an unauthorised gate activation, incoming travellers." The technician stated.  
  
To Be Continued 


End file.
